


Stolen Dance

by saintluciaalice



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28221978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintluciaalice/pseuds/saintluciaalice
Summary: The year is 1977, and the marauders and their friends are beginning their seventh year at Hogwarts. Though the journey has been quite grand, the group wants to make their seventh year the best it can be before leaving their teenage years behind. They do this by participating in all of the adventures they can- and it leads to the beginning of the greatest adventure of all.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Mary Macdonald/Peter Pettigrew, Regulus Black/Emmeline Vance, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 26
Kudos: 5





	1. Ginger Mornings

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!!! And remember- fuck JKR <3
> 
> There will be five different POVs in this story- Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Marlene McKinnon, Peter Pettigrew, and Emmeline Vance. 
> 
> ALSO- Please please please keep in mind that the Marauders era is very head-cannoned and therefore different takes on characters exist, especially ones that are rarely mentioned (Mary MacDonald, Marlene McKinnon, Emmeline Vance, etc.).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As told from the POV of Lily Evans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck jkr :D

**Lily Evans**

"Lils! Get up, darling, you're going to miss the train!"

Lily Evans turned away from her open window, looking at her towards her hardwood floors to where she knew her mother was preparing breakfast downstairs- the smells of crackling bacon were drifting through the house, luring everyone with enticing fingers to the center of the action.

The young witch stood and stretched, her freckled nose crinkling with the intensity of the movement. She had, in fact, been up since before dawn that morning, but had stayed up in her room, watching the sun rise above the horizon and the birds awaken from their slumber. There was a sense of peace in the spare moments before sunrise- Lily loved waking up in those moments to enjoy the quiet beauty of early mornings, without the whining of her sister Petunia or the constant yapping of her neighbor's dogs next door.

"Lils!"

"I'm coming!" Lily shouted back, quickly hurrying towards her almost-overflowing trunk and closing it as best she could. She had packed the night before but had forgotten to fold everything properly, so her clothes were haphazardly thrown into her old leather suitcase that she was now struggling to zip up. She had packed so hurriedly in anticipation for her first day of school- her last first day at Hogwarts's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

_Last first day._

The words, though opposites of each other, sounded perfectly fitting to Lily and she let herself mull over the oxymoron as she struggled to close her suitcase, her breath rising to a quick pant and her already naturally pink-tinged face reddening during the struggle.

Letting out a final grunt of effort, Lily closed her luggage and wiped the droplet of sweat forming on her brow, brushing dust particles off of her red and gold jumper. I've really got to get back in shape, Lily thought to herself, opening the door to her room and tripping down the stairs, her hand skimming lightly over the banister to keep her balance. The trip, usually easy and taken with barely a second thought, was much more of a tricky ordeal as she was still winded from the battle with the suitcase. It also didn't help that Lily had avoided working out all summer besides the occasional swim or walk with her friends, and could feel the trembling of her arms as she lifted the leather suitcase. It had been nice for her to get a break, however. Ever since she had started dating James Potter, Quidditch champion, not a day had been spent over the school year without him begging her to be his workout partner.

As she neared the ground floor, Lily bumped into a familiar blonde.

"Morning Petunia."

The other teenager said nothing in return, save for a purse lipped nod before disappearing up the stairs and the fading sounds of heeled boots on the upstairs floor. Lily was used to this form of affection from her sister- their barely-cordial interactions had begun quite young, when the redhead had been first accepted into Hogwarts. That was seven years ago- the two had been all but estranged for so long it seemed neither could remember what it had been like when they had been friends, aside from a few memories, falling dead leaves of laughs shared, uncommon and hard to grab. Not that either of them wanted to, as the two had done nothing but fight ever since they were children.

The reason for Petunia's shunning was quite obviously jealousy-wouldn't anyone be jealous of their extraordinarily magical sister?- but it wasn't as if Lily had chosen to be a witch. She didn't deserve any of the rude looks thrown at her by the person who had been her friend so long ago.

_You didn't say anything when your parents admitted they liked you better._

Lily scowled at the memory, trying to forget it as she entered the kitchen, instead letting the smell of bacon wash over her and trying to focus on nothing but the breakfast that her mother had prepared. That fateful day had been an awful one, and alas, one that still haunted her almost a year afterwards. Lily felt sweaty and dirty whenever she thought of it, fearing someone could read her thoughts and the facade of the 'perfect family' the Evans' had would come crumbling to the ground like an old stone wall, awash with the mosses and lichens of domestic history.

"Breakfast's on the table, Lily dear. I cut the strawberries into stars, just how you like them."

Lily looked over to the source of the voice and stared into the eyes of her near reflection- a lovely, middle-aged lady with her hands elbow deep in the sink full of soapy water. That was her mother.

Violet Evans had been- and still was- a beautiful woman. Many said Lily was the spitting image of her- and not even Lily could argue they looked anything different to each other. They both shared lion manes of auburn hair that refused to be tamed, not even with magic, and piercing emerald eyes that could stop any man in their tracks. They also shared a sort of quiet, peaceful power about them that lured people closer, giving them a sense of warmth and considerable happiness. Both of them, aptly named after flowers, seemed to represent the spring and all things warm and light.

The elder of the Evans pair, though her face had succumbed to the wrinkles and lines that came with motherhood, barely looked a day over forty, despite being nearly in her mid-fifties. Her smile lines and forehead divots seemed not to dull Mrs. Evan's face, but make it glow ever more beautiful, awash in a warm and motherly glow. This sort of older kindness about her face, along with her motherly attitude, made her the prime woman on Spinner's End to go to for advice, recipes, home remedies, or just a quick chat. Mrs. Evans was living proof you didn't have to be a witch to be magical.

"Thanks mum." Lily replied, sitting at the kitchen table and cutting into her pancakes. They were banana- which, in her opinion, was the best sort of pancake and continually an opinion shared by her best friend Marlene. The two often joked that the only reason they were friends in the first place was because of their shared love of elite breakfast. Sometimes Lily had trouble doubting it- Marlene and her were so different in all other aspects it was hard to believe they had become friends so easily at all.

Poking the uniquely shaped strawberries with her fork, Lily tried to imagine what her friends would be like when she saw them again. For the first time since their first year, she hadn't hung out with them at all, save for a weekend spent at James', which was a weekend that was considerably less romantic than she had imagined, for Sirius had cancelled his plans with Remus just so he could stay at the Potters' and laugh at the new couple's futile attempts to have just a second of space.

Lily wondered if Marlene had actually gone through with dyeing her hair a bright blue just to rebel against her helicopter father- they had chatted about it on the phone, but Marlene refused to send any pictures and save the surprise for the school year. Only Emmeline and Dorcas knew what she looked like, as the three had attended the Birmingham protests in August together. And even then, apparently Marlene had covered her hair in a hat and made the other girls promise not to take photos- something that Lily didn't doubt for a second once she had heard. Marlene had always had a flair for the dramatics. That bit of her best friend's personality was both a blessing and a curse- while she was the best person to go to for a bit of reassurance or someone to hype you up, she was also awful at keeping secrets. An example of her ineptness at that sort of thing was in Mary and Peter's relationship- they had been dating for almost a year and no one knew, at least not until Marlene heard about it. It had made for an awkward lunch; she had stood on top of the Gryffindor table to announce the news to anyone who cared (or anyone in the Dining Hall at the time, rather), accidentally stepping in poor Hestia's food on the process, who had already been nervous about getting caught switching house tables and didn't speak to the blonde for at least a week after the ordeal.

"Petunia, could you fetch your sister's trunk from upstairs?"

Lily was roused from her thoughts by her mother's words, immediately turning to the doorway and meeting her sister's glaring eyes. Petunia, much to her obvious dismay proved by her frequent complaints, had not gotten her mother's fiery looks and instead looked more like Mr. Evans, with watery blue eyes that were constantly narrowed, and very straight, dirty blonde hair. She used to be rather beautiful, really, and she still would be if only she smiled every once in awhile. Every day Lily would search for a glimmer of happiness returning into her sister's eyes, but to no avail. She remained in perpetual annoyance.

At this exact moment, Petunia Evans looked quite a bit more than annoyed- her right hand, already quite pale, was stark white as she clenched the door frame with fingers that even Lily, from her place at the table could see were trembling. The blonde's eyes were like chips of ice, shooting daggers at the two other women in the room, and her lips, pursed with anger, were quivering. Petunia looked as if to be on the border into tears, and Lily could hardly blame her. Even if she hadn't told a soul what she had heard the year before, it wasn't a well-kept secret that Lily was the favored child both by their family and by their schoolmates.

"It's alright mum, I could-"

Before Lily could finish her plea, Petunia stormed from the room, her footsteps receding back up the stairs. Muffled sobs could be heard, and Lily cringed to herself.

Swallowing the guilty lump that had risen in her throat, the redhead stood, leaving her unfinished breakfast on the table as she stood to go- where, she wasn't sure, but the tension rising throughout the house was getting too much to bear, and she was already quite antsy with the anticipation of seeing her friends again.

"Go see if your sister's alright," Mrs. Evans said, her brow furrowed. "What on earth's gotten into her these days- she's become quite vain..."

As the older woman trailed off, Lily fought the urge to scream 'Because you've forgotten about her!' at her mother, instead nodding politely and left with a muttered, "Thanks for breakfast," as she left.

Making her way up the stairs, Lily's heart began to race. She felt in her gut that something bad was about to happen, that something in her life was about to take a major turn for the worst.

Reaching the upstairs hall, Lily put her hand to her chest to try and steady herself, trying to walk down the hall with a set beat as to match her heart rate to. It failed almost instantaneously, so she simply sighed, hoping that her sudden panic was simply a product of all of the sudden mixed emotions. Every step further down the hall seemed to make the air evermore thick with hatred and tension- the stone wall was beginning to crumble, the hidden lichens finally winning over. 

Arriving at her door, which was slightly ajar, Lily peaked her head in and bit her lip at the sight of Petunia, tears streaming down her narrow face as she she clutched her knees to her chest, her back against the leather trunk in the center of the room.

"Tuna?" Lily called softly, using the pet name she had come up with when they were children. It was the first time she had used it for seven years, and it wasn't greeted with positivity.

Petunia turned, immediately, her mouth forming into a snarl as she wiped her eyes ferociously with the sleeve of her pink sweater.

"Oh fuck off!" She cried, her voice ragged and harsh.

Lily was taken aback by her sister's words, her own throat closing up with tears threatening to pour. "Petunia, please don't say that, just calm down. We can talk about this."

The mousey girl let out a huff, her eyes widening in clear exasperation. "Sorry- calm down? CALM DOWN? Do you think it was easy, growing up with a sister that was so much better than you in every way imaginable? So much smarter, so much prettier, that even our PARENTS admitted they liked you better?"

Lily's blood ran cold- apparently Petunia knew more than she thought. "You heard-"

"No, I didn't, but thanks for confirming my suspicion." Petunia snarled, her voice quieter now, but clear pain was still evident. "You know what, _Lils?_ " Her voice dripped with pure venom at the nickname.

"I hate you. I truly, really do."


	2. Smoke and Brick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the POV of Remus Lupin, the friends reunite at Platform 9 3/4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! ALSO- while I'll try to update regularly, I have no set schedule so posting will be, in the sacred words of Cher Horowitz, "Sporadic".
> 
> I normally have around five draft chapters for every one public one, so there wont be much delay, as well as having the whole storyline in my notes, but just know that theres no schedule set in place!

I had never been one to break rules.

I was known as the good kid, both in work and in the real world. I never rose my voice, was polite with everyone, even going so far as to copy olden-day greetings with elders to help them feel young again. I prided myself on my sense of maturity, my strict moral code, and sense of dignity. Those traits, above all else, were what I looked for most in both myself and in my partner. 

That's why it was so incredibly strange as to how I had ended up with one of the biggest oafs in all of the Wizarding World, a man so rebellious and headstrong he had literally gotten disowned by his family.

That man was Sirius Black- and he was also my best friend in the entire world.

He also, coincidentally, was standing next to me, arm around my shoulder as we leaned against a pillar on platform 9 3/4, waiting with beating hearts and bright eyes for our friends to arrive. 

"We're never the first ones." The shaggy-haired boy grumbled to himself. "Not even Dorsal's here yet."

" _You're_ never the first one." I pointed out, looking down into his deep eyes, dark as the very depths of a river cave and just as mysterious. 

While Sirius was known for many things- political vandalism being the most recent one- he was certainly not known for his punctuality. I was almost surprised he got to Hogwarts at all in the years prior; the only reason he had woken up in the morning was because I had shaken him off of my couch. I could only imagine what it had been like when he lived with the Potters'- James' mother, Euphemia, was ever patient with our constant antics in the years prior, but I could hardly imagine her dealing with my boyfriend every day.

Sirius did still technically live at the Potters', but over the summer had gotten temporarily kicked out by James after a weekend spent preventing our best friend and his girlfriend from having even a single moment alone together. I had found him on my doorstep the next morning- or rather, had been announced of his presence when I heard the deafening sounds of his motorbike coming up the quiet country road at three in the morning. 

Before Sirius could open his mouth to utter what I was sure would be some sort of quick-witted retort, the excited shouts of a girl running towards us interrupted him.

The girl in question was a young woman, around 5'7", with a shock of bright blue hair that had been cut just below her chin with the jagged chops of kitchen scissors, and wild green eyes widened with excitement. Her pants, covered with splashes of paint and hand-done graffiti, were a bright red that matched the tote bag in her waving hand. 

I hardly recognized her until she had wrapped her arms around me and I got a whiff of her perfume, the scent of which she hadn't changed since our fourth year. 

"Marlene?" I cried out, returning the excitement of her greeting and squeezing her tightly, almost falling back when another pair of arms wrapped around the both of us, this one clothed in a dark leather jacket that I knew to be my boyfriend. 

We all finally pulled away, breathless and flushed with exhilaration. I scanned the green-eyed girl, almost getting whiplash at how much she had changed over the summer.

Her hair, just like she had promised, was an electric shade of blue and cut clumsily into a bob. Clearly she hadn't used magic, despite the fact that they were all allowed to now- a fact that I was still getting used to. 

"Oh my God!" she squealed, her voice loud enough to make the few nearby witches and wizards turn and give judgmental looks. "Oh my God. You guys look incredible."

Sirius chuckled- I could feel his shoulders shake with humor and I realized we were still wrapped around each other and quickly shook him off, clearing my throat. While we had always been close-everyone in our group was- I disliked being too touchy in public. It didn't feel obscene, exactly, I just got anxious. 

"You're one to talk, Marls." Sirius replied. "Your hair is absolutely..."

He trailed off, a smirk playing on his mouth. "Ravishing."

A spark of anger-or was it jealousy?- arose in me and growled at the bit of my stomach, coiled like a snake and ready to bite. Sirius had always been loyal in our relationship, but had yet to outgrow his flirtatious schoolboy nature. Sometimes I wondered if he was simply doing it to get a rise out of me. 

"You really do look nice," I cut in, suppressing the side-eye I wanted to throw towards the shorter man. "Very punk." 

Marlene snorted. "That's what Dorsal said. She's coming, by the way, just said she needed a coffee."

"As predicted." Sirius said, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. "Have you ever seen her without a cup?"

I laughed, though was cut off by the arrival of the woman we had just been talking about, her muscular arm around a shorter man in a friendly manner.

"Speak of the devil," Sirius said, his smile growing even wider. "Dorsal and Wormy!"

He crossed the makeshift circle the group had formed, picking up the scrawny boy with ease and spinning him around. "You've shrunk."

I winced while the others laughed- Peter Pettigrew was always the butt of our jokes, to his private dismay that he shared only with me and his girlfriend. Even his nickname, given to him from us as a symbol of our brotherhood, was subpar and almost laughable compared to everyone else. I mean really- Wormtail? We couldn't have made up anything better? But alas, I couldn't pretend to be higher than anyone else, as I was also guilty of laughing at some of the quips and I had never spoken out against it when my boyfriend made a comment. I was a wet rag, to be blunt. I lacked a backbone, despite what my friends thought of me.

"Hey Lupin!" 

I turned to Dorcas and smiled in return, almost subconsciously backing up as she neared me with her arms outstretched for one of her signature Meadowes hugs. I prepared myself as she wrapped her arms around me, taking a deep intake of breath right before she enveloped me entirely in a bone-crushing hug that was both comforting and possibly deadly. Her hugs, though rare, were quite intense. After a particularly good win during a Quidditch game, Dorcas had actually cracked one of James' ribs. 

"You look great." she said, scanning me. Just by looking straight ahead she could meet my gaze- in fact, at this particular moment in her doc martens and her dark hair in braids tied up at the top of her head, she seemed taller than me, an observation I had mixed feelings about. I prided myself in the fact that I was the tallest one in the group, it gave me a sense of power that I lacked personality-wise, especially around my much more outgoing friends. 

"Thanks, you too." I responded. I couldn't help but lower my head a little; though it was long behind us in the face of revelations I had had about myself, I felt a tad awkward being around Dorcas after our relationship-as swift and as truly awful as it had been- from just a few years before. And besides- Dorcas was intimidating, with her intense, dark eyes that matched Sirius's in depth and were twice as large. 

"Dorkyyyyy!" Marlene wrapped around Dorcas from behind and nuzzled her head into the taller girl's neck, a smile on her round face. "Did you get me a coffee?"

"You didn't ask for one," was the response from Dorcas.

It felt strange to me that Dorcas seemed so comfortable with Marlene- normally she hated being touched or fondled in any way, besides the occasional fierce hug or a pat on the back-I almost felt as if I was interrupting a moment, and awkwardness automatically seized up my lungs at the thought. I turned back to the rest of the group, feeling my face redden. 

"W-when will the others get here?" Peter was asking when I joined the other conversation.

"I think Lily's coming with her family," was Sirius' reply. "And they might be picking up Prongs, but I'm not totally sure." 

"Emmy and Hestia spent the night at the Prewetts'." I interjected, remembering the phone call I had had with the two that morning. "So they should be coming with Fabian and Gideon." 

"And Mary?"

"Haven't you called her?" Sirius asked Peter incredulously. 

The smaller of the two shook his head, his watery blue eyes widening. "Should I've?"

"Of course you should've!" Sirius hooted, grabbing Peter by the shoulders. "Oh Wormy- I honestly can't believe she's been with you this long.'

I laughed, wracking my brain for a clever quip to add on, but came up with nothing and instead turned away to scan the platform for more familiar faces. 

The sudden aggressive horn of the Hogwarts express announced it's arrival with an explosion of smoke from which a familiar set of redheaded twins emerged, a girl on each of their arms. Fabian with Emmeline and Gideon with Hestia. 

Marlene ran to the four students and they immediately gathered around her, all of them clearly remarking on her hair and flurrying around the former blonde. 

I followed the group as they all made their way over, my hands almost shaking with exhilaration and anticipation. These people were quite literally my home- though I loved my family dearly, I had pretty much grown up with the people surrounding me. Continually, this almost felt like the end of an era. I worried to myself, as I leaned down to hug Emmeline Vance, if we would ever see each other again after June. 

My fears were cut off by a shout from the smoke and I looked up, squinting to see the last of the group running towards us, poor, clumsy Mary clinging desperately onto Lily's hand while also trying to clutch her luggage in the other. 

Sirius was ahead of us all to greet the final arrivals, hugging James so fiercely his glasses fell off and Lily, chortling with laughter, had to grab them as quickly as she could.

My mind was a blur of pure excitement and happiness as I joined my two best friends, my arms wrapping around them both. I felt Peter appear next to me, and the four of us hugged as if we would never be able to again.

This was how it had been, how it, hopefully, would be for years and years to come. Us four against the world, loyal till our last breath.

Peter spoke first after we broke the hug. "I've missed you all!"

"We've missed you too, Wormy!" James laughed, putting an arm around Peter. James' hands shook a little and his eyes were squinted- I could tell he could barely see a thing, and, worried he would almost immediately fall without someone to guide him, turned to look for Lily. 

She was behind me with her head buried in Marlene's shoulder, the two quite nearly on the brink of tears. Their friendship was a sight to behold- while they couldn't be more different from each other, they loved each other so fiercely you could feel the fire of their hearts just by seeing them laugh together. 

The ginger finally looked up, sensing a presence, and nodded at Remus knowingly, handing her the pair of spectacles to him. 

"Thanks," Remus said, turning back to James, who was now throttling Sirius in a (hopefully) joking manner, and handing him his glasses.

The entire group, finally settling down from all of the excitement they had just shared, looked around each other. Every last one of them looked frazzled from all of the forceful hugs- Emmeline especially was holding her side and wincing slightly. Dorcas had evidently been a little too excited to see her. 

"Well," James began.

It was custom for him to say a few words- no one knew exactly when or why the tradition had started, but I guessed that it had been him trying to prove his leadership over the group.

"Here we are." 

I heard a giggle from beside me and glanced at Lily, who was barely surpassing her laughter at her boyfriend's false sense of poetry.

"Anything else?" Marlene interjected, her arm still around Dorcas. I raised an eyebrow- something about the two seemed a little more familiar than usual. 

"Not really," James laughed. "Go Gryffindors?"

"As I recall, James darling, the Ravenclaws won the House Cup last year." Emmeline called to him and the group laughed as Dorcas turned and kicked her in the shin- though it was clearly gentle, it made us all laugh. They, especially, had been keeping up with their Quidditch competition throughout the years. 

"Go Hogwarts?" Lily volunteered, always the peacekeeper.

"Doesn't have a nice ring, Lils." Marlene replied.

"Do we even have a group name?" 

I turned to Hestia, who had just spoken.

"Well, the Marauders," Sirius said, shrugging. "But that's mostly for us four."

He motioned with his head to me and the two boys next to us, summoning a warm feeling in my stomach. I was used to the title, but it still felt exciting to be apart of something. 

"Do we even need a name?" Mary frowned. "I mean, it's sort of for kids."

"We ARE kids, Maccie." James laughed. "Well, until June, anyway."

A moment of silence followed as we all sat with what we all had been storing in the back of our minds. This was the end. 

"The last first day." Lily murmured beside me, and I looked over to see tears forming in her green eyes, like an emerald filled river from the deepest caves of the world. 

I tried desperately to think of any sort of name, but my mind (and my throat) felt suddenly clogged up. I was no longer the quick-witted and smart teenager I had been just moments before. Now I was close to tears- my throat started to ache, and I could hear Lily crying softly beside me into Marlene's shoulder.

The sound of the train letting out its warning horns of departure startled us all into straightening up and swallowing the lumps in the back of our throats. Lily and Mary were openly crying, their lovely eyes red and their eyelashes sticking to each other. 

"Ready?" came a voice behind me as I began to make my way over to the train.

I turned back to look into the eyes of my best friends. "Is anyone, really?"

None of us were, but the train was beginning to squeal its way out of the tracks, so we had no choice but to board, trying to focus on the year ahead of us.

The beginning of our last first day. 


	3. Sugar and Spice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As told in the POV of Marlene McKinnon, the Marauders and their friends board Hogwarts express, eager to start their new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this chapter mildly stupid and just here for fluff? maybe!

The group clambered onto the train, eyes shining and wistful smiles on their faces as they left the last of the muggle world behind them, ready to face the world of books and quills and potions. 

Marlene McKinnon, as always, was ahead of the others, one hand pulling her luggage through the train aisle and the other holding Mary MacDonald's sweaty hand and dragging her along, despite the girl's small squeaks of protest. 

Unlike the rest, Marlene felt nothing but excitement and anticipation about the fact that this was their last name. She was someone that lived only in the present, focusing on nothing but the situation at hand. A self-described optimist, she saw only the good in any turmoil faced.

"Marlene- there's a compartment over here!" Hestia called, and Marlene turned, nodding immediately and dragging Mary backwards into the empty compartment.

"I must've missed it, sorry," she said cheerfully as Sirius took her trunk from her.

"As usual," Dorcas teased lightly, settling in beside her. Marlene looked at the brown eyed girl, surprised at the feeling of warmth in her cheeks and ears, and the slight tremble of her slender hands. She was never flustered, especially not among friends. 

"Will we even fit?" 

Emmeline broke the silence, standing in the doorway of the compartment and peering about.

"It'll be just like last year." was James' response as he dragged the brunette into the cramped space. Lily, who had been behind her, came in as well, wrinkling her nose in mild discomfort.

The compartment was, indeed, cramped. It was meant to only sit six people- eight, if you were feeling dangerous- but there were eleven. Eleven sweaty, noisy, teenagers. It was enough to make Lily, who Marlene knew as something of a neat-freak, throw up.

_Oh Merlin, I hope she doesn't._

Marlene grimaced at the thought- it would certainly but a bit of a dent in their happy hangout. Hopefully someone knew cleaning spells.

Luckily, nothing happened and Lily daintily stepped to the empty space next to James and across from Marlene, perching at the end of her seat. 

The blonde tried not to roll her eyes, huffing in mock annoyance as she did so.

"Something to say, McKinnon?" Lily interrogated, raising an eyebrow as if to dare Marlene on.

"Who, me?" Marlene replied, widening her eyes as if to prove her innocence.

Despite her teasing attitude, Marlene felt a warm, glowing ball of happiness in her chest as she bantered with Lily. The two had been friends since their first year at Hogwarts- to everyone's surprise they had clicked immediately, proving that opposites did, indeed, attract. Perhaps it was the way that Lily had used all sorts of big, fascinating words despite being the ripe age of two, or perhaps it had been the way she cared so deeply for others even when she had never seen them before, but whatever it was- Marlene had known she had found her soulmate.

Platonically, at least- Marlene often joked she loved James and Lily's relationship more than her own father.

 _'Not that it's a joke,'_ Marlene grumbled to herself, but she suppressed the emotions threatening to leak out, instead focusing on the conversation at hand. She was surprised at her sudden moodiness- she was never this glum; or thoughtful, even. 

It was no secret Marlene and her father had a...rough relationship. The two had had it out for each other ever since Marlene had publicly denounced the Malfoy family right in the middle of an important business deal between the two pureblood families. The McKinnon family had lost quite a bit of money with her outbursts of rebellion and had shaved the ties of Marlene and Phillip McKinnon until it was hanging by a thread.

Her father was also the reason she had changed herself so much in ways that weren't typically described as 'proper'- cutting and dyeing her hair with kitchen scissors and blue hair dye from a variety store was one of the many things she had done, but certainly not one of the craziest.

"Mickey?" 

Marlene turned at the sound of her nickname and met the eyes of her friends, watching her with expectant eyes. 

"What, sorry?"

Sirius, who had called her name, chuckled. "Something more important going on in that brain of yours?"

"If you're the one speaking, probably." Marlene replied. "But seriously- what?"

"Sirius asked you if you think the Applebys will win the game next weekend."

"No fuckin' way. Did you see the new Seeker the Harpies just got? Sally Fletcher? The game's gonna last ten minutes." Marlene responded. 

"Five, probably." Emmeline cut in. "That girl's incredible."

"Are you in love, Ems?" Marlene teased, and Emmeline rolled her eyes, elbowing the blonde.

"Am not, I just admire her skills."

"Maybe if you watched her more often you'd stop losing to Dorsal all the time."

Scoffing, Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "I never lose to Dorsal."

Before Marlene could reply with a scathing retort, a knock on the trolley door startled everyone and they all turned to the source.

The trolley lady opened the door, her elderly face twisted in an exasperated scowl. "Every year this happens. How many times do I have to tell you- no more than eight in a trolley!"

"Maggie darling," Sirius crooned. Marlene held in a huff of amusement. The trolley lady's name wasn't Maggie- in fact, no one was sure what her name was, to the point where Marlene didn't think the poor woman remembered it anyway. Sirius capitalized on this assumption, calling her by a different name every time they saw her. It was twisted, sure, but incredibly funny.

"Please, Maggie?" James was saying, having jumped onto the joke immediately. "This is our last year. After this, you won't have to see us ever again. Ever."

Marlene already knew what the trolley witch's reaction would be. The elderly woman would never admit it, but she had a soft spot for James and his friends. Why else would she have let them get off scot free for all of their antics?

"Just this once," The trolley witch said, just as she had in all of the six years before. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"

"Eleven chocolate frogs, please." Sirius said, handing the witch the galleons. "And two bags of Berties."

The witch handed them to the shaggy teenager with surprisingly steady hands for someone so old, before turning to go. 

"Wait-" Marlene called, not thinking twice. "Could I get a bag of Shock-o-Chocs?"

She reached into her pants pocket for four sickles, giving the witch the money and holding out her hand into which the bag was placed. She could feel the sparks from the candies from outside of the bag, and grimaced in anticipation.

Hestia was the first to realize what was happening, and her brown eyes widened worriedly. "Marlene, seriously?"

"Hell yeah." Marlene replied.

Her eyes were bright with anticipation, and she looked around at her friends as she opened up the bag. Immediately she was blown away by the smell- the scent of strong spice, like the bang of a cannon. These chocolates were no joke- she had only done this once before, in her fifth year, and regretted it immensely. But it was a special occasion, one that required an equally special activity.

"Toss em over." Lily said, and Marlene did as she was told, gingerly holding the sweet between the tips of her forefinger and thumb, and handing it to the redhead as carefully as she could.

"Grab one," Marlene said to Peter, who had been hanging back, his brow furrowed in apparent worry. Marlene suppressed an eyeroll- why on earth did he have to be so scared and dramatic about everything? He was like a whiny child. 

"I don't think I'd be able to handle it." Peter responded, his face reddening. He clearly hadn't been expecting anyone to call him out.

"C'mon, please?" Mary begged. "I'm doing it, and you're so much braver than I am."

Peter still shrugged, but Marlene could see that something almost changed within him as he straightened up a little. Not that Marlene cared- she had never really like Peter. He was too quiet, too scattered and passive. If Sirius didn't constantly put him on some sort of pedestal, Marlene doubted she would've ever looked twice at Peter. 

"Wormy, you coward, just do it!" Sirius cut in, rolling his eyes and grabbing another. "Take it."

Before Peter could utter a word of protest, the sweet was placed into his lithe hand and he said nothing to defend himself, instead just sighing and looking down at the little ball of chocolate in his hand, sparking every once in awhile.

"Alright- on three, straightest face wins." Lily said, once everyone was situated. "Who wants to count?"

Marlene opened her mouth to speak, but Sirius immediately jumped in. 

"One, two..." The dark haired man paused, looking around him and meeting Marlene's gaze. The blonde felt her heart flutter, just for an instant when she looked into his eyes, glimmering with a dark mischief. 

"Three!"

The contact was broken as Marlene popped the sweet into her mouth, biting her tongue in preparation for the spice. 

It hit her in an instant, and her face immediately contorted into a grimace, her eyes squinting up and her cheeks reddening.

The taste was like nothing she had ever tasted before, a mixture of pure chili peppers and gunpowder, with bursts of electricity popping in her mouth. It cleared her sinuses and made her eyes water so much it looked as if she was crying- and she almost was. Whoever had been manufacturing the chocolate had apparently increased the dosage of whatever made it almost unbearably spicy. 

"CHRIST!" Mary gasped, immediately spitting it out."That's revolting."

The smaller girl started to cough, her face a red and teary mess. The candies were no joke- even Sirius, who Marlene now checked up on, was struggling to keep a straight face.

Sweating profusely now, Marlene looked about her at the group, all in varying degrees of pain. James, surprisingly, was the most affected by it. He was nearly on the ground, holding Lily's hand so tightly Marlene could see his veins, all purple and blue, pulsing underneath his ivory skin. His nose was running- trails of snot were tracing his face, mixing with his tears. It was- there was no polite way to put it- disgusting.

Lily, on the other hand, was doing quite well. Her face carried no expression, even her eyes, striking as always, were devoid of any emotion and staring into space. 

"Shit, Lils." Emmeline said, gasping for air. "How aren't you dead?"

The ginger didn't speak, instead just offering up a purse-lipped smile and continuing to stare into space. Marlene could tell she was concentrating immensely on not showing any sort of emotion- her best friend was dead set on winning. 

The spice was beginning to hurt her head, so Marlene took a few breaths to try and steady herself, trying to remember a spell, any spell, that would relieve the pain. 

"Lenio!" Hestia finally gasped out, pointing at herself. Marlene watched as the girl, who seconds before had been crying and clutching her head, now lay back, relieved and laughing at the others.

Emmeline and Remus followed suit immediately, the former of which collapsed on the floor, heaving violently. 

Marlene was about to point the wand at herself when she noticed James, still writing on the floor next to Lily, his eyes so red they looked bloodshot, and magnified through his glasses. He was a sight not even fit for sore eyes, so Marlene, as uncomfortable as she was, knew what she had to do.

"Lenio," she said, pointing her wand at James before doing the same to herself, letting the feeling of calm wash over her. Her tongue stopped swelling and she leaned back in her seat, taking breaths to calm herself and looking around her for the people still standing.

Only Dorcas, Lily, and Sirius were still competing, their eyes wide as they watched each other, waiting tensely for someone to give up. Marlene looked on, taking in Sirius's every move. The quiver of his hands, clenching and unclenching in tension. The way a dark vein pulsed in his neck and his eyes watered from the strength of the spice. His hair, tousled from the way he constantly ran his hands through it, the flaring of his nostrils in concentration and his signature sideways smirk that made butterflies rise in Marlene's stomach and heat rise to her face.

_He's got a boyfriend. He's got a boyfriend. He's got a boyfriend._

_Not only that, his boyfriend is someone that you love dearly._

At the thought, Marlene glanced at Remus, the poor, flustered scrawny boy curled up on the compartment seat, his face flushed in such a way that he still looked handsome. Guilt rose in Marlene's stomach like a dagger, slicing at her soul. Remus was legitimately one of the nicest people she knew, and the most deserving of Sirius's love. Whatever feelings they had shared in the past were quite literally history. 

_'If only I had made a move back then.'_ Marlene thought to herself as she watched the trio. 

But alas, this was the way things had turned out. The world would continue to turn, and Marlene was content with the few fleeting memories, tucked carefully away in her mind like an old sweater from childhood, awaiting a day when one would desperately need a reminder of more innocent times. 

Lily's sudden gagging broke the silence, and she spat the candy out- it landed near Marlene's feet and rolled under the seat, still smoking. She didn't cast any sort of charm to relieve whatever pain she might be feeling, an observation deemed quite impressive to Marlene.

Now only Dorcas and Sirius were left, staring at each other with pure fire in each of their brown eyes. Neither seemed ready to give up- in fact, both seemed evermore into the competition of it all.

Marlene watched alongside the others, her eyes flicking from Dorcas to Sirius, and back again. The two were the most competitive members of the group- Marlene almost wondered if either would ever surrender.

She didn't have to wonder for long however- Sirius finally let out a huff, spitting the candy out into his hand and tossing it out the opened window before sitting down, glaring. No matter how much she loved him, Marlene was the first to admit that Sirius was the worst at competitive games- he was an extremely sore loser.

Marlene looked over at Dorcas, who still had the candy in her mouth, chewing aggressively. Her eyes widened as she watched the taller girl swallow the chocolate without a second thought, a satisfied smirk on her face. 

"I win," the taller girl said smugly. 

Sirius said nothing, instead just shrugging nonchalantly and turning to Remus, who was hiding a laugh.

Marlene looked around at the group, all breathless and giggly, and suddenly an overwhelming feeling of indescribable nostalgia swept over her. She tugged on Dorcas' sleeve, needing some sort of comfort and security.

Dorcas, to Marlene's surprise, readily accepted the invitation and sat next to Marlene, putting her head on the blonde's shoulder. Marlene, in turn, leaned into Dorcas, her eyes closing almost immediately as she drifted off to sleep, rain beginning to patter outside the Hogwarts Express, hitting the glass of their glowing train compartment, their sanctuary in the brewing storm. 


	4. The Monster in Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As their arrival day draws to an end, Peter Pettigrew is threatened by his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little spooky perhaps? Please give a lil criticism/thoughts on the imagery sequence at the end! I've never really written anything like it before, like the personification of his jealousy or whatever, so please give advice!

Rain pattered softly onto the leaves in the forest, droplets of water falling onto the faces of Peter and his friends as their ghost carriage took them to Hogwarts . Like the train, the group was crammed together-Lily on James' lap and Hestia on Dorcas-and with the added luggage no one had enough space to even move their legs. 

Peter himself was crushed to the left side of the carriage, hardly able to breathe as Mary dozed quietly on his shoulder. His arm, underneath hers, was falling asleep and had begun to feel numb. Despite his discomfort, Peter was silent, watching his girlfriend contently- the steady rise and fall of her chest, the fluttering of her eyelids as droplets of rain landed on her pale face and rosy cheeks. Even her acne seemed ethereal, like freckles made of strawberries and pink pearls and her hair, which Peter often marveled at the sheen of, was tucked neatly behind her ear, save for a stray curl that fell across her face and danced whenever she exhaled through her nose. Her jawline was soft, like a renaissance painting of some mysterious girl, the mistress of a painter whose beauty was springtime personified. In these moments-the quiet, gently intimate ones in which Mary was like a dove, nestled in the arms of her Peter- he could easily forget just how little he mattered. Peter was a side character in his own life, a stagehand to a play made for those much more courageous than he. 

Before Mary, Peter had had nothing. All of his friends, as kind as they were to him, frequently forgot about him in the face of far more exciting prizes. He had spent his days curled up on a chair in the library, reading old Daily Prophet articles and sneaking cups of tea into the sitting area under the oblivious nose of Madame Pince, and his nights in the boys dormitory, avoiding his friends at all costs. He loved them, but all they ever talked about their relationships, their quidditch games or the newest rumor about Severus Snape, the Slytherin boy in their year who James in particular had a long and tumultuous history with. When Peter had met Mary, she had shown him nothing but kindness, loving him despite his stunted appearance, looking past his sickly features and nervousness. The day that they had met- or rather, truly connected- was a day that Peter would remember forever.

It had been a sunny fall day, around two years ago, after classes had ended, that coaxed students out of their common rooms and into the grounds and courtyards, chatting loudly with their friends or playing mock quidditch games in the field. The lack of breeze made the lake quite still, like a piece of blue porcelain had been draped over ominous waters below. Peter, once again, was alone that day- even Remus had run off with Dorcas on a study date. 

Unsure of what to do- Madame Pince had kicked him out of the library for being 'too mopey'- Peter had wandered into the central courtyard to wallow in his self-pity, dragging his feet as he went. His eyes were glued to his shoes, tracing every crack in his old and disintegrating pair of sneakers that he was too attached to to throw away, condemning his own faults and features.

Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was the fact that Peter was paying such close attention to the shoes on his feet he failed to notice Narcissa Black running into his path, but whatever it was, Peter was pushed to the ground, hitting the cobbled ground at an almost comically slow speed with his hands splayed out behind him. He fell hard, but not hard enough to have the wind knocked out of him so instead he simply laid there a minute more, wondering why on earth this was the life he was living . 

What happened next was something so wondrous, in the swift moment that it happened Peter had first thought he was dreaming. 

Looking up, his face red from both embarrassment and exertion, Peter locked eyes with what could only described as the goddess Persephone herself, skin dappled by the sunlight filtering though the trees and eyes aglow with the very soul of the universe. Her feet were bare and swinging off of the tree branch on which the nymph was perched delicately, a book in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other. Mary MacDonald had always been pretty- even Peter, always so wary of girls and romance, recognized this- but today, in this light and in this moment, she looked ethereal. It was the first time Peter had looked at her- really, truly, looked at her- since the day he had met her in their first year at Hogwarts. He noticed every curve in her body, from the way her hair framed her face to the arch in her feet. 

In the swift moment that time stopped to allow the pair to meet each others gaze, Peter saw his life flash before his eyes. He saw his future- all of the weaving stands of the universe overlapping and shifting in front of him, the puzzle pieces of a life not yet lived. Moments shared, words unsaid, singing under the stars and waltzing in the kitchen. A small burst of courage, like a frail bird flying cautiously towards the light, prompted Peter to stand up, brush himself off, and walk towards Mary. 

"Hello, Peter."

"Mary," he replied, a bout of nervousness immediately shrouding whatever futures he had kept in his mind. "What, uh, book are you reading?"

Mary smiled, meeting Peter's eyes excitedly. "You're the first person to have asked me that, actually. It's called Pride and Prejudice. It's a muggle novel, so you probably wouldn't like it, so I won't bother ranting about it too-"

"It sounds really cool, Mary." Peter responded, interrupting her before she had time to make yet another self deprecating comment. Ever since Mulciber's assault, Mary had retreated into a smaller, more anxious version of herself. It was Peter's job, along with the rest of their well-meaning friends, to distract her from whatever negative thoughts that regularly plagued her waking (and sleeping) moments. "What's it about?"

"It's a romance," Mary replied shyly, though her face was bright and eager to continue. "From the 19th century. It's about this girl named Elizabeth Bennet- though actually, she's mostly called Lizzie- and a man named Mr. Darcy."

"Why doesn't Mr. Darcy get a first name?"

"He's proper." Mary giggled, "Also his name isn't exactly...."

Peter found himself relaxing under Mary's increasingly light-hearted demeanor. "Exactly what?" he asked, echoing Mary's words in the form of a question.

"His name is Fitzwilliam." Mary muttered, lowering her head. "But you have to remember, it was a different time, and-"

Peter let out a laugh so hearty he startled the students nearby and elicited a small yelp of protest from the anxious Mary, but as soon as he started he couldn't stop. He laughed like he hadn't laughed in years, like it was the happiest moment of his life- and as far as he knew, it was.

The two had spent the rest of the afternoon talking in the courtyard- for so long, in fact, Remus Lily had to search for them- and now here they were, cuddled up next to each other in a carriage. 

Just as Peter was about to try and gently move his girlfriend, the carriage pulled gently to a stop, and Marlene and Sirius immediately leapt out of the carriage, grabbing their bags and trying to race towards the castle despite the weight on their shoulders and the rocky path.

"Mary," Peter whispered softly, rousing the young woman as gently as possible. "We're here."

She finally awoke, rubbing her eyes and looking about before straightening up and brushing herself off. "Thank goodness, I'm absolutely famished."

**+++++**

"James, you just have to accept you're bad at this."

"I swear to Merlin, Sirius- just let me think for two fucking seconds!"

"Language!"

Peter laughed alongside the others at the annoyance of Dorcas, who was trying (and failing) to coach Sirius and James on muggle card game 'Rummy', which, despite James' constant claims that it was a game of chance and luck, Sirius was winning every time. 

The fire crackled cheerfully in the Gryffindor common room as Alice Fortescue, always a curious sort of person, half-heartedly tossed different objects into the hearth to see what would happen. The latest was a handful of pine needles that Peter watched with fascination as they curled into little crumbs of grey ash. 

"Merlin, I'm so full it hurts to move." Marlene grumbled from her place spread out on the floor by Peter's feet. "I honestly think I may just sleep here."

"You'd miss out," Lily retorted, crawling onto the floor to lie next to the blonde. "Mary brought Clue." 

"It's alright- you can take Miss Scarlet for me. Treat her well."

"Oh, but of course!" 

A sudden crash made everyone turn their heads and look towards the table where Sirius and James had sat- the bespectacled boy had thrown his cards to the ground in frustration, putting his head on the table and letting out a groan of defeat.

"Fucking hell." Dorcas muttered, breaking the silence. "I'm too tired for this." 

She got up from her seat, picking up the cards as she went and placing them in front of the boys. "I'm off to bed- see you all tomorrow. Also, quidditch tryouts are on Friday and I need to judge fairly, so practice if you want to make the team."

"Dorsal come backkkk..." Marlene called as the witch left the room, her voice slurred and sleepy.

Even Peter was beginning to fall asleep- his eyelids were drooping and a yawn was building up in his throat. It was a long day, and would be an even longer one tomorrow- classes started, and he hadn't done a single page of the summer's Artithmancy homework. 

"I think I'm gonna head off as well," Peter finally said, after the silence drew on for a little too long. "Good night, everyone."

Kissing Mary lightly on the cheek, Peter dragged himself towards the boys dorm, collapsing on his bed and examining the cracks in the ceiling. He could hear the distant laughs of his friends and schoolmates just below him, and couldn't help but feel a jolt of jealousy. 

'How on earth are they so effortlessly favored?' He wondered to himself, gnawing thoughtfully on his lip as he pondered it. He couldn't help the bitterness he felt, that snuck up on him in the cold and quiet nights, alone in his room with only his thoughts to accompany him. 

A part of Peter's brain prayed that one of his friends would come and save him from his own mind, enter the dorm with their jokes and quiet hoots of laughter. Even their teasing would be welcome, anything to escape the green-eyed monster that lurked in the depths of his soul, waiting to bite the moment he was unprotected. 

No one came, and Peter was left lying motionless in his bed, a cold sweat coming over him as the monster fed at his spirit, whispering tales of stolen glory in his awaiting ear. 


	5. Flying Ravens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As told from the POV of Emmeline Vance- quidditch tryouts and a reunion of friends(?) take place on a sunny September morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slight TW- mentions of alcoholism

"Get back here, Vance! I gave you the job as an assistant to help me, here, not to chat with your friends."

I started at the sharp words from the Ravenclaw quidditch captain, backing away from the gaggle of Ravenclaw girls who had come to watch the tryouts. "Sorry, Byrnes." 

The brawny young woman raised an eyebrow, eyeing me in mock annoyance. My fear of getting in trouble washed away when I saw she was joking, and I made my way to her side, scanning the line of students in front of us, waiting for their turn on the field.

As my gaze made its way down the line, I noticed a tall, olive-skinned wizard near the end with his hands in his pockets and his eyes glued to the ground in front of him so as not to subject himself to the coy looks from some of the other students nearby.

I couldn't help but stare at the barely familiar face in barely repressed shock. Over the summer, Patrick Vane had experienced one of the most drastic growth-spurts Hogwarts had ever seen, transfiguring from a scrawny, gangly kid to a- I had to face it- full on god. I almost felt intimidated by him the longer I watched, almost forgetting that I had pretty much protected him throughout the years from the countless older kids who picked on him for anything he did. Oh how the tables had turned.

Seeming to sense my gaze, Patrick turned to me, waving excitedly. I suppressed a huff of laughter, glad to see he was still the same old, at least in his soul. How thankful I was that he hadn't turned into yet another Brian McLaggen!

"Flores, you're up!"

I turned away from Patrick and watched as a young third year made her way to the center of pitch, her legs shaking like the boughs of the courtyard willow trees. She turned to me, and our gazes met for an instant, a swift connection of spirits, past and present. For in her eyes, I saw myself from years ago when I had stood on that very strip of land, hands trembling, face bright with excitement for the future. 

The moment was broken as quickly as it had formed as the girl turned away from me to mount her broom, a sleek new Nimbus 1500 with it's dark mahogany polished handle glowing in the wind. Flores clearly didn't skimp on quality when it came to brooms.

"What're you up for?" Laura Byrnes asked the girl.

"Beater." Came the nervous reply.

I watched, apprehensive, as she clambered onto her broom and took off into the sky where some other candidates waited for the first mock-game to begin. Beater, especially for newer students, was a dangerous position to tryout for. It required strength, experience. Dorcas had had to tryout three years in a row before finally getting on the team, and she was one of the best players I'd ever seen, however much that hurt for me to admit. 

"Vance!" 

I turned to Laura once again, an eyebrow raised challengingly. If I was going to be told off again-

"Wanna throw the Quaffle?"

_Hell yeah._

I pretty much grabbed the red ball out of my classmate's hands before hurrying to the center of the field, widening my stance in preparation. This was the best part of practice, and Laura knew how much I loved the chance to show off my arm, much improved after years of chucking everything I could at Marlene when she tried to steal my clothes. 

I looked up at the gathered students in the sky, squinting against the bright early-morning sun to scout my aim before cocking my arm back in preparation, waiting for Laura's signal.

"Three, two, one..." Laura called out. I could almost feel the hairs on my arm raise in anticipation, waiting with bated breath for the final word.

"Go!" 

I threw the ball up with as much force as I could muster and stepped back, my hand cupped over my eyes to shield myself from the sun.

The players zipped through the sky with surprising speed and elegance, and a glimmer of hope warmed my competitive heart. We had a good batch this year- it would be hard to pick.

**++++**

By the time tryouts finished, the sun was well in the sky and my stomach was growling with the strength of ten lions, begging for something more than the spoonful of oatmeal I had taken out of Dorcas' breakfast. Sustenance would have to wait, however. I had been tasked with cleaning up the pitch, and was now lugging the giant crate of Quidditch balls back to the shed. 

I finally reached the old wooden door, and I gratefully dropped the contents in my hands in order to open the shed. Turning the metal handle gingerly with my hands- it was obscenely rusty, Merlin knew why they hadn't used magic to fix it- I pushed the door open with my shoulder and stumbled into the cramped and musty space.

It was no secret that the Quidditch shed terrified me to no end- all of the whispering history of students long passed, the spiders and cockroaches creeping in corners that hadn't been cleaned for years. I would rather be anywhere but here, and kept my guard up as I warily placed the Quidditch crate down, praying that no otherworldly spirit would lock the door on me while my back was turned.

"Emmeline?"

I turned around at the sound of my name, a flush rising to my cheeks as I clumsily grabbed my wand from my robe pocket and backed violently into a stacked collection of ancient Cleansweep Twos that promptly clattered to the ground.

Patrick Vane was standing in the doorway, his tall frame barely fitting in the space and his hands extended almost nervously to me as if to calm my nerves.

"Merlin's beard!" I exclaimed, clasping a free hand over my chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought I was about to get murdered."

Patrick laughed, his chuckle almost timid. "S-sorry to scare you like that. Laura told me I'd find you here."

"Unfortunately, she was correct." I replied, brushing off my robes and putting my wand away before meeting his gaze with a warm smile. Christ, his eyes were pretty. Like brown velvet, alight with the sun.

"Unfortunately is right," Patrick said, examining the tiny room with his nose scrunched. "It looks like someone died in here."

"Smells like it too," I added, propping the Cleansweeps up haphazardly. Someone else could fix them properly- I couldn't bear another minute of standing in the dank shed.

I brushed past Patrick with a quick, "Excuse me," and entered into the sunlit world once again, taking gulps of fresh air as I trotted away from the horrendous eyesore that was the shed. I heard the slam of a door behind me, and, bringing myself to stop for a second, turned to wait for Patrick.

He arrived at my side in seconds as cheerful as ever, like some sort of attached puppy, loping along beside me as I made my way towards the castle, hoping that Hestia had saved some breakfast for me like she promised.

"So..." I trailed off, letting the word hang in the air. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at our lack of correspondence over the summer- he had sent me letters almost every week, describing in detail what had happened over the seven days. I had replied to exactly one.

"How was your summer?"

"Fine." I replied, mildly relieved. He didn't seem to hold any sort of grudge against me, thank Merlin. "I went to the protests in Birmingham with Marlene and Dorcas."

"Marlene...McKinnon?" Patrick furrowed his brow before smiling excitedly once again. I wondered if it was possible for him to stop his cheerful expression for more than a few seconds at a time. 

"Mhmm." I affirmed as we reached the courtyard.

"I just talked to her this morning! She's really cool- she's the one who told me to tryout for Quidditch, actually. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for her."

I paused on the mossy stone walkway, exhaling assertively through my nose. "Did she?"

Marlene rarely did anything for people she didn't know without an ulterior motive. I'd have to ask her about it later, though I had a feeling I knew what it was about. She hadn't been exactly...private last year about her opinions on him and I spending our afternoons together. 

"Yep! Speaking of which- did I do alright? Byrnes didn't seem too happy when-"

I scoffed, smiling encouragingly. "You did incredible, Patrick. Quite honestly-and I swear on Merlin's foot that I'm not biased- you were one of the best."

"Thank Merlin." Patrick let out a sigh, and I elbowed him lightly.

"Like you didn't know." I teased. "You were trained by the best of the best." 

I swept my hands over my body, as if to present myself like a ringleader would at a circus.

Patrick shook his head in mock exasperation. "Your humbleness, as always, Ems, is astounding."

We stopped at the door leading inside the castle, and he looked down at me, his gaze a good deal more steady than just a few minutes before. We stayed how we were for a heartbeat longer than we should've, just looking at each other in awkward hesitation. Waiting for someone to break the tense silence. 

"I better head out, I've got McGonagall." he said finally, turning away. I noticed that the back of his neck had tinged a light scarlet and my mouth twitched in a flustered manner, unsure of what to make of it.

As he made a step to leave, I grabbed his arm, regretting it the moment I did but plowing steadfastly on. "Patrick?"

He looked down at me confusedly, his brow furrowed. Somehow, even in his bewilderment, he looked absolutely radiant. 

"I'm sorry for not writing back." I stuttered out abashedly. I didn't want to bring it up, but knew I had to. Otherwise I'd be left thinking of it for days afterwards. 

"It's fine, Ems." He replied, looking away for a moment. "You were busy."

"It's not an excuse." I retorted, shaking my head. "It's just- you were sending so many, and I really was so busy with the protests and-"

"It's honestly okay." Patrick responded, releasing his arm from my grasp. "But I do have to ask- did you manage to read them?"

"Yeah, of course." I said immediately, the words almost tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. I hadn't, though I had planned on it, of course. Even brought them to Hogwarts to-

"Right." Patrick said. "I'm sorry you missed the funeral, then. Romilda really loved you."

Giving me a reassuring smile before walking in the direction of Transfiguration, I was left in the courtyard, standing shellshocked next to the door and blinking in a flustered manner as I registered the final words he had said.

Romilda was Patrick's younger sister, with whom I had taken an immediate liking to, going so far as to bring her with my friends on Hogsmeade trips. Everyone had loved her- Hestia especially, given their similar interests in cooking and shared Hogwarts house.

I had been so caught up in Quidditch and the prospects of my final year, it hadn't even begun to occur to me why she hadn't scampered up to me during the welcome feast, why she wasn't present with the rest of the Frog Choir.

I shook my head as if to clear it as grief threatened to wrack my body. I couldn't let this happen to me, not again. It was hard enough having a dead father and a history of coping with alcohol in my family. I couldn't slip back into my old habits, especially not as Hogwarts' newest 'It' girl. 

Straightening, I bit my lip to keep the pounding in my head at bay and stepped into the dimly lit halls of the castle, looking to the moving portraits as if they would offer some answers.


	6. Rooks and Bishops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the POV of Lily- On a rainy weekend afternoon, Sirius and Lily play a game of chess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright! realizing I got the timeline a little off- James and Lily don't technically start dating until the fall of their seventh year. but alas- as I'm almost halfway done with the book, we'll just have to deal.

It was a rainy weekend afternoon at Hogwarts, and Lily Evans was curled up in the Gryffindor common room, flipping absentmindedly through the pages of Mary's well-worn copy of 'A Wrinkle in Time'. She had read the novel- the entire series, really- about a million times, so much, in fact, that she had almost entirely memorized the first few paragraphs and often recited them to the feigned astonishment of her friends. 

Rain pattered aggressively on the glass windows of the tower and thunder rumbled through the sky like a million racing chariots, but the freckled redhead was safe and sound where she was, underneath layers of old red and gold quilts, her own little nest. To anyone passing, it looked as if Lily was enraptured in her book, her eyes were almost distant and she barely moved, save for the methodical chewing of her bottom lip.

This assumption was incorrect, in fact. Lily Evan's mind was racing like a car down an abandoned freeway, skidding over bumps in the road and making sharp, aggressive turns in every which way. The events of last week, still a fresh and salty wound in her heart were being replayed over and over again as the redhead went over every little thing she had said, imagining every possible way the situation could have ended differently. 

For seven whole days, Lily had pushed everything aside and instead busied herself with doing everything she could. Throwing herself into her work, her relationship, her friends, and her obligations to the Slug Club. This was her last year at Hogwarts- there was no way in hell Lily had planned to mope about her family problems in these last precious semesters. 

But today was different. Her homework was completed and placed neatly in her satchel, her friends all busy with various housebound tasks, and nearly two hours left until suppertime. It was exactly as Lily had feared- a time where she was left alone to her thoughts. Left to wallow in her regrets and fears.

_I hate you, I truly, really do._

_I hate you._

_I hate you._

The last words her sister had said pounded in her head and ears, loud and aggressive and sharp; it took over her mind and body, the words coursing through her veins like poison. There was such a clamor in her head, Lily failed to hear Sirius calling her name, his deep and resounding voice growing more worried by the second. 

"Lily!"

The redhead finally shook herself awake, turning to the ragged man standing over her with an ornate wooden box in his long-fingered hands. Firelight glimmered in his black mane of hair and reflected in his dark eyes, narrowed in concern. "Alright there, Evans?"

His voice had lightened to his regular playful lilt, but Lily could tell he was worried by the slight tremor in his hand, his eyebrows contorted and almost touching at the center of his brow bone. 

"Yeah." Lily lied instinctively, but the faint taste of blood on her lip begged her to ask for help.

Luckily, she didn't have to.

"I'm not Prongs, Evans. I know when you're lying." Sirius retorted quickly, scoffing. 

Lily paused, sucking in a wary breath. She didn't want to start talking- she had a feeling she would turn into a blubbering mess if she did. Sirius spoke once again before she had a chance to respond.

"I'm also not McKinnon," he said, holding out the box. "So I won't ask. Wanna play chess?"

Lily finally met his gaze, a smile playing at her bloody lip as she sat up, pushing the blankets off of her and taking the box out of his outstretched hands, setting it on the coffee table in front of her.

"I call dibs on white." she said quickly as Sirius took his seat, sprawled out on the rug. He smirked as he pushed himself up, setting up the game. 

Lily watched in fascination as the pieces took their places on the board, adjusting their little weapons and faux lunging at their opponents across the checkered wood. Seven years had passed, and she was no less in awe of the little magic bits of the wizarding world.

The game began with a strong opening on her part- "Pawn to E5."

The little player stepped forward two spaces bravely, his little sword out in from of them in attacking position.

From then on, the game continued quickly and tensely. Both Lily and Sirius were formidable players, only ever beaten by each other, Hestia Jones, or the Prewett twins, so the game was lighting quick, their voices almost interrupting each other as they directed their little pieces around the battered board. 

Around ten minutes had passed when there was a lull in the game, in which Lily had paused, her head cradled in the palms of her hand as she thought.

"So..." Sirius said finally. "How're things at home?"

"Rook to D3. Alright." Lily replied, not wanting to dwell on the subject. 

"Bishop to D3." Sirius said immediately after without a second thought, a smirk of confidence on his face. "Better watch out. How's your sister?"

Lily focused on the little pieces on the board instead of answering, wincing as Sirius' bishop beat her rook to pieces. She had a plan, sure, but it was still quite an unnerving thing to witness.

"Lily?"

"She's fine," Lily said, her voice edged with sharpness. "Pawn to B5."

The smug smirk slid off of Sirius' face as he realized his queen was now officially stuck- and by his own methods, too. The Gryffindor had surrounded his Queen with almost every piece available, a now futile attempt to protect her from Lily's swift and calculated attacks. 

Sighing in defeat, Sirius studied the board, but Lily could tell his mind was elsewhere. His eyes, dark and fathomless, kept flicking from the checkered landscape to her face.

Finally, he spoke. His normally playful nature had subsided, replaced with a side of Sirius that Lily had witnessed only once before- the night he had run away from his family.

"I know I said I wouldn't press." Sirius began hesitantly, his eyes never leaving Lily's green ones. "But if what's going on is what I think it is, I'm pretty sure I can help you." 

Lily was silent for a moment, her mind racing. She was touched, sure- Lily had never taken Sirius as one to ever care for others so openly, especially someone that wasn't one of his best friends- but then again, she had gone so long successfully burying it.

Her need for support finally won over, and Lily exhaled, pursing her lips as she did and blinking so as not to cry so soon.

"We had a falling out," she explained, looking away from Sirius' gaze. "A really bad one, this time. I don't...I don't know if we'll ever speak again. She told me she hated me."

Sirius nodded understandingly, changing his sitting position so that he was almost level with Lily.

"She knows about what Mum said." Lily continued, her cracked bottom lip trembling despite herself. _What on earth is the matter with me?_ Shethought to herself frustratedly. Normally she was so much better than this- the stone cold and put-together head girl that not even James Potter, in all of his arrogance, could break. "About, y'know..."

Lily trailed off, not wanting to repeat what her parents said for what seemed like the hundredth time. Sirius knew, anyway- she had told all of her friends the very same day it happened, calling them all in a panic. 

"Shit, Lils." Sirius said, using her nickname, an action that was quite out of the ordinary for him. "That really sucks. Petunia's a prick. Not being the favorite child doesn't excuse you from being a bitch to everyone."

Lily suddenly remembered Sirius and his own brother's issues, and immediately grimaced. How selfish she was! So busy worrying about herself, making such a big deal about a fight with her sister that she had forgotten that Sirius had gone through the same thing- probably worse, in fact. "Oh my god, Sirius. You must think I'm awfully egocentric. You've been through so much worse, I'm just so dramatic about all of this."

"You having problems doesn't cancel mine out. You're allowed to complain about things, y'know. Prongs can't take all of the attention." Sirius chuckled comfortingly, his deep eyes warm. "Speaking of him, though. Have you talked to him about this? He's your boyfriend, after all."

"No."

"What about Marley?"

Lily shook her head. "I don't want to burden her with anything, she's already got problems with her dad, and-"

"God," Sirius scoffed, rolling his eyes and falling backwards. "When will you learn?"

Lily's mouth fell open, taken aback by Sirius' response. This was what she got for caring about her friends? "Learn what?"

"We'd do anything for you, Evans. Hell, even Wormy would. Don't be so self-obsessed that you think you have to do everything by yourself." 

"I'm not self-obsessed!" Lily huffed, standing up defensively. A few nearby first years looked around worriedly at the red faced and red-haired young woman, prompting Sirius to motion with his hand for her to sit back down, as if to say 'Don't make a scene.'

"Then let us help you." Sirius responded as Lily sat down again, her arms crossed. "It would take all eleven of us to count all of the things you've done for everyone on our hands. If you could stop being so high and mighty for just a moment, we could have an actual conversation."

Lily uncrossed her arms, glancing around her to make sure she hadn't disrupted the peace and quiet of the common room for good. "Ironic that you're the one scolding me for arrogance."

Sirius let out a huff of laughter, but didn't offer up any sort of scathing response, instead continuing on with his point. "So were you just planning on wallowing privately? What exactly was your plan with not talking to anyone?"

"Distraction," Lily admitted, shrugging. "I just planned on keeping myself busy and not thinking about it."

"That seems to be working out great for your face," Sirius teased, motioning to her lip. "You look like you've just been decked."

Lily gingerly touched the wound, wincing at the pressure. "I figured it would just go away, eventually. If I just did everything I wouldn't feel so awful."

"I know quite a bit about doing everything- if you get my drift." Sirius said, never one to resist an immature joke. Lily's mouth twitched in disgust, biting her tongue to keep from scolding him and instead clenching her fist. Sex jokes aside, he was helping her. It felt incredible, getting all of the weight off of her chest. Even if her methods were talking to Sirius Black, self proclaimed anarchist and infamous Hogwarts druggie. 

"Moving on," Sirius said after a moment of silence when he realized that Lily hadn't laughed. "Shit like this creeps up on you, Evans. If you just hold it in, that is. It'll just leak out and everyone will notice." 

"I don't want to turn my last year at Hogwarts into a therapy session. You may like talking about your problems, Black, but I don't."

Sirius paused in thought, staring off into the distance. "You're really dead set on making this the perfect year, huh?"

"Mhm."

"Well it wouldn't do for you to just drown yourself in work. I've got an idea- one that doesn't involve support groups."

Lily furrowed her brow, waiting for Sirius to carry on.

"Let's live our lives, Lily. I hate to bring this into our conversation, but there's a war coming. We're quite literally saying goodbye to our childhoods forever, and I'll admit it- I don't know how many of us will survive past eighteen with what's going on. So y'know what?"

"What?"

Sirius' eyes were aflame with conviction. "Distraction may just be the best policy. Not shitty, school related distraction, mind you. Let's sneak into the forbidden forest, let's... Merlin, I dunno! Steal a pint of firewhiskey! Dye Dumbledore's beard! Lily, the possibilities are endless, and we have a whole year to do them."

"Sirius, you're not serious." Lily laughed, uncertain. "I'm not gonna rope everyone into running away from my own problems."

"Again, not about you." Sirius replied. "They'd love it- could you imagine the look on Marlene's face?"

A smile started to spread across Lily's face, mirroring the already gigantic one on Sirius. "If you're sure..."

"Of course I'm damn sure!" Sirius exclaimed, grabbing Lily's hands. His chest rose and fell heavily with excitement, his wild hair tousled from all of his energetic movements. "And Lily?"

"Hmm?"

"I won't, y'know, tell anyone. Not even Moony. Your secret- if we're calling it that, that is- is safe with me."

Lily exhaled- even her breath sounded happy. Merlin, she finally understood why everyone loved the dark-haired Gryffindor so much. He had a heart, one you had to earn, sure, but one that was probably stones too big for his chest.

"Thank you, Sirius."

"It's no problem." 

The two both sat back, their faces flushed. It was silent for a few moments, and then Sirius spoke once more.

"Knight to G2- check."


	7. Breakfast Chats, Among Other Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the POV of Remus Lupin- it's a bright Sunday morning, and the marauders go for a little after-breakfast outing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I started boarding school and just moved in, so it's been taking awhile to get situated. Unfortunately- while the chapters WILL be released more often than this one, they will be released less often because I've got a lot of homework and need to unpack!

"You're off your rocker."

"I'm actually quite sane, thank you dahling." 

I stared across the Gryffindor table at Sirius, my mouth agape in shock. "Do you know how much trouble we could get into?"

"We've got James on our side," Sirius said pointedly. "And with Dumbledore's prize boy, we're pretty much untouchable."

"Sirius, there's a difference between sneaking around the castle and smuggling in alcohol." I retorted, desperately turning to the others. "Lily, talk him out of it."

"It was my idea," the redhead admitted, scowling at the groan her response had elicited from Dorcas. "And I stand by it, thank you very much. As long as we're careful and quiet about it all, we'll be fine."

"What about 'astronomy tower party' sounds quiet to you?" I demanded. "Lily, you and James could lose your jobs." 

"Please, Moony." James smirked from his place beside Lily. "You think I care about being Head Boy? Whatever my dearest wants, my dearest will get."

"And," Lily added, shoving James to the side as he tried to kiss up her shoulder. "We won't be inviting many people besides us eight, the Prewetts, and Hestia and Emmeline."

"And the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team," James said bashfully. "I promised a few days ago I'd let them know of any parties. Lonely blokes, the lot of them. Looking for the dainty touch of a certain blonde woman..."

"Merlin's tits." Marlene said sharply. "There's no way in hell I'm going anywhere near McLaggen and his cronies."

"They're not so bad once you get to know them," James countered. "And besides- you followed him around like a puppy all of fourth year. What's changed?"

"Found out he was just another bigheaded blond." Marlene responded, leaning back in order to say hello to Hestia, eating breakfast with Frank Longbottom just a few feet away.

"A bigheaded blonde-" Dorcas said pointedly, her mouth twisted into a playful smirk. "So glad we don't have any of THOSE in our friend group."

I pressed the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger as Marlene immediately jumped at the opportunity to pick on Dorcas- the two were constantly arguing. If they weren't some of the best of friends, they probably would've killed each other four years prior.

"Can we PLEASE stay on task?" Sirius said, probably for the first time in his life. 

"I agree with Pads." James interjected loudly, sighing when Marlene and Dorcas took no notice, instead continuing on louder. Lily frantically motioned towards the head table, where Filch, Hogwarts caretaker and resident bootlicker, was beginning to hobble over to the group. Especially with what we had been planning just moments before, no one needed the slimy man's interrogation. 

"Merlin, why don't you get married already?" Lily finally snapped at her best friends- anything to keep them quiet. "You argue like an old couple anyway."

That shut them up.

"Oh God, we would never. We're just great friends." Marlene said quickly, laughing and apparently unbothered as she wrapped her arms around the taller woman. Dorcas cleared her throat, awkwardly wriggling out of Marlene's embrace and shifting her seat closer to me. 

Filch, who had been steadily making his way over, met my eyes with an inquisitory glare. I smiled back at him as casually as I could, trying to keep my sweating down. Merlin- I really was terrible at acting nonchalant, a fact that Sirius often teased me about.

Luckily, the elderly 'gentleman' nodded when he saw we had quieted down, turning slowly and walking away in a disgruntled manner. 

"Thank Merlin he's gone." James said, once we were all sure we were safe. "But moving onto matters besides Dorcas and Marlene's obvious infatuation for one another- the party."

"Right-" Sirius said, glancing to me. He must've noticed my pursed lips and sweaty brow, for he reached his hand across the table, outstretched towards mine. 

I took it immediately and without a second thought, entwining my cold hand with his warm one and letting my shoulders relax as he swept his thumb across the back of my hand in a steady, pulsing rhythm. 

"You can bring the Quidditch team." I said, after a moment of thought. At Mary's look of disapproval, I followed it up immediately. "With silencing charms, obviously. And someone would have to take care of Filch. A sleeping charm, per say."

"On it." Hestia said- she had snuck up behind us all and wrapped her arms around Marlene. "Anything you need with potions or cooking, I've got. And Alice Fortescue, if we're including her."

"I'm not sure she'd want to come," Peter said. "Parties never seemed to be her thing."

I exhaled exasperatedly, unwilling to add yet another person to what had once been, in Lily's words 'A little get together!', but my morality and guilt at knowingly excluding someone won over and I called out to Alice at the far end of the Gryffindor table, gesturing her over. 

The rosy-cheeked girl got up obediently and ambled over, her eyes widened inquisitively.

"Hey!" Marlene said cheerfully, pushing her plate of banana pancakes over to the pixie-haired brunette. "Want some? I've eaten a plate and a half already."

Alice shook her head politely, and I cleared my throat to get her attention again.

"Hey," I began, a strange awkwardness seizing me. Alice and I weren't exactly best friends, but we were on good terms and some of the best students in Gryffindor. 

Alice, however, took no mind to my sudden nervousness and instead gave me one of her signature dimpled smiles that seemed to light up the room and send a shock of warmth through my body. 

"Hmm?" She said expectantly, waiting for me to continue.

"We've got a party." Sirius said, as always recognizing when my anxiety began to set in. "If you'd care to join us, it's in the astronomy tower on..."

He trailed off, looking around the table, and I realized, with a startled, "Oh!" that we hadn't set a date. 

"Friday night." I said quickly, scanning the table to various affirmative sounds and movements.

"Not on Friday!" Sirius all but shouted, and we all turned to him, confused by his sudden outburst.

"You've got your...thing on Friday." 

_Right_. 

I had been so caught up in party planning, I had forgotten all about the more...furry side of things. Friday night was the full moon, the night of my transition into the fearsome beast inside of me that growled and gnawed and gnashed its teeth deep within the depths of my stomach. 

Catching on quickly, James and Peter backed my boyfriend up in an instant, their voices overlapping as they frantically made up a story, something to do with classes

"Saturday night, then." Hestia finally said, and my friends quieted down, nodding in agreement. I hid a smile, a surge of indescribable emotions hitting me like the violent crash of a waterfall. Why I had been so worried to tell the three about my Lycanthropy, I had no clue. For a full year and a half, I had hid it from them, so ashamed of the darker part of myself I had assumed others would be too.

Perhaps it was just them- their love, given so selflessly that they risked everything for me, even the prospect of being expelled from the school that we all loved so deeply. Perhaps it was magic of some sort that allowed them to tread through the woods with me so playfully, without fear of what I could do to them. And perhaps it was a perfect mixture of both- the most powerful things were, after all. 

Whatever it was, I doubt I would've survived without them constantly by my side. I often boasted I was the smart one of the group, that they needed me or else they would be nothing, just a ragged group of pranksters, but, in fact, I needed them.

I needed them so truly and so deeply that sometimes, in the deep summer nights in which I slept alone in my room, it felt as though I could barely breathe. 

"If you wanted to make some refreshers with me, Alice, that'd be wonderful." Hestia said, bringing me back to reality. 

The group continued to talk, and I turned away for a moment, pressing my free hand to my eyes and quickly obscuring my face when I felt that they were damp. If any of my friends saw, they would quite literally jump on me, interrogate me and ask me what was wrong when in truth, I honestly had no idea.

I felt a tug on my hand that was entwined with Sirius', and I glanced up, meeting the shaggy haired boy's dark eyes gaze.

"You alright?" Sirius mouthed, so that the others wouldn't take notice. Thankfully, it seemed as though they were distracted with talk of the astronomy tower's dimensions.

I nodded, but, as always, he didn't buy it for even an instant and stood up, his hand still holding mine. 

James and Peter looked up and immediately followed, not even asking why on earth we were leaving our friends (and breakfast) behind.

"Off for a bit!" James called to the group at the table before we all left the Great Hall, falling into our usual places as we did so. James in front as always with an arm around Peter, Sirius trotting behind like a faithful dog, and me towards the back, always the last to approach anything. Always the one with the faltering footsteps. 

As we meandered through the halls of the school we loved to dearly, James stopped in his tracks when we met eyes with a pursed lipped, middle aged witch dressed in deep purple robes.

"Minnie!" The bespectacled boy cried out, leaping forward. "Good morning, lovely."

"That's Professor, to you." McGonagall said, though through her half moon glasses I could see a lovely twinkle in her eye. James, even with his constant quips and detentions, was obviously her favorite student. The two things she was so openly passionate about were Quidditch and Transfiguration- and James Potter excelled at both of them. 

"I trust that your summers all exceeded expectations?"

"But they were torture without you, Min-McGonagall." Sirius jumped in.

"Torture, I'm sure." The stately professor said, an eyebrow arched. "So much so that you were unable to do your summer Transfiguration homework?" 

I couldn't help but smirk, concealing it with a quick look away from the others. Over the summer, I had all but begged Sirius to do his homework, only to receive whines and open refusals in return. Payback was upon us, clearly. 

"In my defense-" Sirius started, obviously about to launch into some sort of dramatic tirade in which nothing of true substance would be said.

"See you all in class." McGonagall interrupted, her voice, though sharp, carried a tint of familiarity and subtle love that we knew and adored. 

As Professor McGonagall went on her way we continued on ours, James and Sirius pushing open the doors into the Courtyard perfectly in sync. They had done it so much over the years, there was a small marking on each of the doors where their shoulders had slammed into it.

The sunlight hit me swiftly, an almost painful contrast from the dimly lit castle halls and an even larger difference from rain yesterday. I squinted in the harsh and blinding rays, turning away from the sky and instead focusing my attention on my friends, who had run on ahead. I jogged after them- as I neared I heard Peter's signature high pitched chortle, and smiled. When it was just the four of us, it seemed as though Wormtail gained a whole new lust for life- he was loud, and joked around almost as much as James. 

We latched onto each other and walked, arm in arm, out of the Courtyard and onto the grounds. I could see Hagrid's hut straight ahead in the distance, but instead we ran (stumbling over each other as we did) towards the lake.

In the moments that we were racing towards the water, yelling joyfully and tripping over nearly everything in our path, I felt an almost out-of-body sensation. We picked up speed and I felt the fresh air in my lungs, smelled the still-dewy grass and the electric, unmistakable scent of magic seeping out of every crevice in Hogwarts. In the swift, barely second long moment, I was unbelievably grateful for my 'furry little problem'- as Sirius had so aptly nicknamed it- that granted me hyper-aware senses even when it wasn't the full moon. 

The four of us, now properly tangled, finally neared the muddy water bank. I slowed to a stop, as did we all, but not fast enough. The reed and lilypad strewn mire slid beneath our feet and we began to shout again, trying frantically to release our arms and legs from each other as the water neared us.

The water hit me before the cold did- but when the latter did hit, it hit hard. I gasped for air despite still being only knees deep in the lake, instinctively wrapping my arms around my body as my teeth chattered. I looked around me at my friends- Peter was shivering with the water up to his waist, his pale nose now a deep shade of red. 

Sirius and James hadn't been so lucky. Apparently they had hit each other on the way in, for they were clambering over one another in futile attempts to right themselves from where they had collapsed into the water. 

"Need some help?" I called teasingly to my friends- though the only response was grunts as the two finally regained balance. 

Now we stood, in an uneven circle, looking at each other with our arms wrapped around our bodies.

Finally, Sirius spoke. Or rather, he moved. Brushing away a reed that had caught on his shoulder, his deft fingers unhooked his dripping robes, bundling them up and tossing them away. He then went to work on his tie- not that it was an issue, it was always so loose he could just lift it over his head. 

We all followed suit without a second thought- though I almost immediately regretted my decision as soon as I stripped my torso, my skin bristling at the cold and turning red in a stark contrast to the murky water.

Finally we were all down to our pants, giggling like schoolgirls and splashing water to warm up.

Sirius, as always, was the first to dive under- I could see his legs splashing above the water as he swam towards the center of the lake. I followed swiftly, squinching my eyes closed in preparation before going under.

It was so fucking cold.

Like- I had been standing in the water for long enough, but nothing could've prepared me for the icy shock that engulfed me as I began to swim, constricting my lungs and numbing my body.

Thanks to my long limbs, I was an expert swimmer and caught up to my boyfriend easily, pulling at his foot to get his attention. Sirius turned, eyes wide and arms outstretched towards any danger. I couldn't blame him- the lake was known for it's suspicious creatures. 

Sirius relaxed when he realized it was me-his eyes softened, scanning my body under the water. I couldn't help feel suddenly exposed, and my hands went up to cover the scars on my body. 

Even before we were...involved, we saw each other unclothed all the time. That's how roommates worked, especially considering we were best friends. It was strange, nevertheless, to have someone that saw everything on the marred map that was my torso. Every crevice, every scar, Sirius Black had seen... and _loved_. Accepted, even. 

That was the really peculiar part, the part that boggled me to no end.

Sirius Black saw it all- and he loved me all the same. 


	8. Dancing in The Dark, pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the POV of Marlene McKinnon- the party has begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you know I have playlists for these fellows? (except for Peter, who's playlist is still in progress) Here's Marlene's - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7cRKltCX7j63ZHV7rVyeHN?si=SxRscSfxSp2PyfleOtQGjg but if you go to my profile from there there'll be plenty more! Enjoy and feel free to add recs.
> 
> Also- CW for hinting at a slightly sexual situation !!!

It was a Saturday evening, and Marlene McKinnon was panicking over dresses.

The party, like many things, had snuck up on her over the week as she busied herself with her friends and school, telling herself every day that she would choose an outfit the next. But alas- the day was here, the party was an hour away, and a pile of every single outfit Marlene had brought was lying on the floor of her Gryffindor dormitory as the blue-haired teen looked over them worriedly, like a shepherd surveying his sheep. 

Marlene was almost too scared to touch the vast blend of colors- from the most muted grays to the brightest yellows, sequins and stripes and polka dots, all tossed onto the scarlet carpet. She was enraptured, in the zone, as she stared at the pile as though they would offer some answers.

The creak of the dormitory door opening startled Marlene into looking around, coming face to face with an extremely concerned looking Dorcas Meadowes.

Marlene let her gaze linger on her best friend for a moment, distracted from the monster on the floor. The long-legged young woman looked incredible in a wonderful yellow jumpsuit that brought out the golden undertones in her skin, and her hair had been taken out of their braids and was styled into a magnificent afro that encircled her head like a copper halo. 

Dorcas broke the moment in an instant, snorting with laugher as she kicked a stray pair of jeans by her feet. "Loving the choices! Are you planning to wear them all?"

Marlene was brought back to earth by the jab, and immediately offered up her own retort. "Yeah, it's the newest style from America."

She immediately grimaced- weak jab.

"Like you'd ever want to be an American." Dorcas replied.

Marlene finally relented, too exhausted to bicker and instead moving the topic to the mess on the dormitory floor. "Could you help? I can't find anything."

"Can't pick," Dorcas corrected. "I think you've _found_ plenty of options."

"Just help me- the party's in an hour and all I've done is my hair."

"Which looks terrific, by the way." Dorcas said, walking over and taking a strand of the blue-dyed hair in her fingers and twirling it. "Not that it doesn't all the time."

"Dorcas, you flirt." Marlene teased, wrapping an arm around the former's waist. 

"Like I'd ever date you." 

"If I liked girls, I'd marry you in an instant." 

Dorcas snorted, pushing Marlene aside and bending over the pile of clothes as she started rifling through them. "Well, I like girls and you'd be the last one I'd think of dating."

Marlene felt a twinge of...something...in the depths of her stomach, but she ignored it, instead sitting down next to Dorcas and reaching into the formidable pile.

A minute passed, in which they spent in relative silence, the only sounds the slight thump of clothes as they were tossed away. 

Dorcas broke the silence with an excited shout. "Merlin's beard, Marls. This is PERFECT. Breathtaking, honestly."

Marlene turned to Dorcas, taking the sheer sequined halter top out of her hands and examining it. "Really, Dorsal? I almost never wear it, and-"

"Marlene, I'm on my knees. Do you have a pair of white pants anywhere?"

"Multiple, yeah." Marlene responded hesitantly as she watched Dorcas dig frantically through the pile before coming up with a pair of white bell bottoms. 

"C'mon, tell me this wouldn't be exquisite. And with that white blazer you have?"

"I'll wear it, just for you." Marlene finally relented, standing up with the pieces and retreating to a corner to change. She slipped on the halter top, the smooth fabric sending a chill down her spine. 

Finally, the outfit was assembled, and Marlene ran her hands over the fabric, turning around to hear Dorcas' criticism. 

Marlene met the girl's golden-brown eyes with her own bright green ones, surprised to see nothing but excitement in her best friend's eyes.

"You cleaned up alright." Dorcas said, shrugging nonchalantly- a peculiar change from her gaze of enthusiasm- crossing the room in just a few strides and holding out her hand, in which a pair of moonstone earrings lay. "Here, put these on and then come with me. Everyone else is already at the tower setting up- they've been wondering where you were."

Marlene put the earrings in before taking Dorcas' hand in her own, taking the lead down the curved staircase, towards the party that she prayed would end well.

**++++**

"Marlene, if you don't put on Rolling Stones after this I'm going to lose my mind."

"I still can't believe you don't like the Bee Jees." Marlene slurred, hitting Sirius playfully on the shoulder. 'More than a Woman' blasted above them from a speaker Hestia had smuggled into Hogwarts. 

"I'd like them better if it wasn't all we've been listening to since the party began."

"Fine!" Marlene grouched, chugging down the last droplets of firewhiskey from her glass and making her way over to Hestia, who was dancing cheerfully with Alice Fortescue, her arms swaying in the air. 

"Pads is asking for Mick Jagger." Marlene said, scanning the the shorter teen. "You look great in red, Jones."

Hestia smoothed the front of her floral wrap dress, getting flustered immediately. "Thank you, Marls! You look absolutely wonderful- that shirt is to die for."

"Dorsal picked it out, can you believe it?" Marlene joked, turning to leave. "See you in a bit- I think Emmeline brought snacks."

She left the pair, squeezing through dancers in a futile attempt to find her Ravenclaw friend. Combined with the alcohol that impeded her senses and the crushing atmosphere, Marlene had to crouch to weave through the people, her sight blurring and a flush rising onto her face from exertion. 

Someone yanked her arm upwards, and Marlene let out a cry of surprise as she was dragged to the edge of the tower. She opened her eyes, but her sight was blurry and she couldn't see anything clearly, much less the features of the person who had taken her.

"Marlene!" 

It was Dorcas Meadowes, thank Merlin.

"Dorsal." Marlene sighed, rubbing her eyes until they focused. "Enjoying the party?"

The words elicited a soft chuckle from Dorcas, who reached over to brush dirt off of Marlene's shoulder. "As well as I can, yeah. Why were you escaping the party?"

"I wasn't escaping- I was looking for Vance," Marlene replied, bending down to fix her heels. "She brought snacks, apparently."

"And a greek god, apparently." Dorcas said, her eyes focused on a point past Marlene's shoulder. 

Marlene straightened up and spun around, her mouth falling open at the sight of her own Emmeline Vance, 5'3 and walking onto the dance floor with what could only be described as an Adonis, at least six foot and dressed in a fashionable pair of high waisted green corduroys.

"That's Patrick Vane, Dorsal."

"Holy shit- it is. That's- wow. Thats..."

"Yeah." Marlene said, feeling a twinge of pride. She liked to think she had been responsible for the pairing- after all, she was the one who had egged Patrick on to tryout for Quidditch. 

"So..." Dorcas said. "I guess we're the only ones without a dance partner."

Marlene looked around at the scene, realizing that her friend was right. Lily and James were dancing foolishly right at the center, with James twirling her around every chance he could, echoing the stupid music videos they often watched of the Bee Jees. Sirius and Remus were closer to the edge, dancing wrapped in each others arms, Sirius' head buried in Remus' neck as they swayed clumsily to the beat of their own music. Alice and Hestia had stopped dancing, but were now pushing each other playfully in the direction of Frank Longbottom, who had somehow made his way into the party. Peter and Mary were nowhere to be found- an observation met with a suspecting chuckle from Marlene. They hadn't seemed like the type, but Peter certainly had the capacity to surprise her. 

"Right."

The two fell silent- a moment that was surprisingly awkward for a pair of people who had known each other since their first year of Hogwarts. That moment alone, barely a second long, carried more emotion than Marlene could ever dream of expressing in words.

The Gryffindor looked desperately for someone else to dedicate her attention to, her eyes landing on Cillian McLaggen, the young and bigheaded Quidditch member who was currently being followed around by a small posse of fifth year girls- how they had gotten into the party, Marlene had no clue.

"Merlin, he's popular tonight." Dorcas joked, following Marlene's gaze. "Every girl seems to be in love with him."

"Every girl?" Marlene asked, her question trailing off.

"Every straight girl, at least." Dorcas responded pointedly. "I couldn't give two rat shits about him. And you, I suppose. You didn't seem too favorable of him on Sunday."

The phrase seemed to hit Marlene right in the chest- though she couldn't pinpoint why on earth she was so bothered by it.

"I bet I could score him."

"Like you'd want to- Marlene? Marlene!"

Dorcas' words seemed to come from very far away as Marlene crossed the room decidedly, grabbing Cillian's arm to get his attention. He turned to her cockily, an eyebrow raised. 

"Wanna dance?" Marlene asked before she had time to think.

"Thought you'd never ask." Was the reply.

The taller blonde grabbed onto Marlene's waist, pulling her in close as they danced, _Bitch_ by the Rolling Stones playing in the background. 

"So..." Marlene said. "What kind of movies do you-"

"Don't talk." the blonde slurred. "Just feel."

 _Gross_. 

Marlene _felt_ as though she had made a terrible mistake. She _felt_ as though she wanted to go back to Dorcas, but it was too late now. 

Cillian spun her around.

The world seemed to spin with her, tossing and turning, the blend of colors forming a sequined ocean in Marlene's overcrowded mind. 

Cillian McLaggen was the boy of any girl's dreams- Quidditch champion, star student. So why on earth did Marlene feel so uncomfortable in his arms? He was the picture of masculinity and charm- cocky charm, sure, but charm nonetheless- so why on earth did everything feel so...wrong?

As they finished the move, Marlene slowed down enough to meet Dorcas' eyes, watching the couple with an fathomless gaze. The look from her best friend stirred a sort of energy in the pits of her stomach, and Marlene turned away, instead coming face to face with Cillian McLaggen.

The pair stayed like this for a moment, barely an inch away from each others lips and their eyes locked on one another. Marlene wondered if Dorcas was still watching.

And then Cillian kissed her. Hard.

It was like an explosion of fireworks- not the romantic kind, mind you, burning hot ones that sent electricity through Marlene's whole body. She had no sense of right or wrong anymore- just the feeling of his lips pressed against hers. Marlene closed her eyes, and suddenly it wasn't Cillian anymore- though who she imagined was someone she would rather not face.

As though in a dream, the kiss broke, though Cillian's hands were still wrapped around her waist and creeping lower every second. Marlene didn't dare to speak for fear of breaking the dream, and instead let herself be taken out of the Astronomy Tower and into the first broom closet her partner could find.

Marlene was in so much of a trance, she failed to notice Dorcas Meadowes putting her coat on hurriedly and disappearing down the darkened steps of the tower. 


End file.
